Five for Friday 1.3

Happy Friday to all! We are back again for another addition of Kacey's Five for Friday. 

1. The week started with my Sunday School class going out to eat at a fun local restaurant. After lunch, a group of us played a game of Ultimate Frisbee which I don't think I have played since high school. I spent the next two days paying for it with sore legs and ankles but it was such a fun way to hang out with friends. I am currently working on learning to catch the frisbee, let's just say I was a much better defensive player.

2. On Monday, I trekked through the rain to see David Platt at Lakeview. He is amazing,  so challenging and inspiring. I loved his book Radical and I'm excited to read his new one coming out soon! I first read Radical before traveling abroad and this quote held true when I returned from the Philippines. 

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes…” 

If you are looking for a great cause, let me know! I know 36 precious children that changed my life.

3. We are learning place value and making numbers using tens and ones this week in Math. I have all these great tens and ones cubes but no great games to play with them so I decided to put on my own thinking cap and come up with a game during the five minutes I have for lunch. Teaching on the fly as I call it. 

 How to play: we used our AMSTI investigation cards and split the deck in half. Turn over one of each card and create the number shown. Above is 86: 8 tens and 6 ones
Below: 102, 10 tens and 2 ones. My kids loved this game and get excited every time I give it as a game option.

4. I love my nativity that I got in Manila and a few weeks ago I found this great stable to go with it! Best part: it was 75% off!!! Music to my ears. It is made of drift wood and fits perfectly with my other pieces. I very sadly took all of my Christmas decorations down the first week of January but decided not to take this great nativity down. I believe nativities should be left up all year long! What a great reminder each morning to live for Christ. 

5. We have also been talking about Martin Luther King this week since we will be out of school on Monday. I love teaching first grade because they are so loving and innocent. I began reading a great book I got in a Scholastic book pack and my kids stopped me half way through and asked " Why were they doing that, that's rude." 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

~Rachel 

Five for Friday!

Love this idea for a recap of my week! Linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching, a fabulous website for teachers!

1. I got to spend the weekend with some awesome family members. My dad's whole side(25 of us minus 2) came to spend Christmas in AL so the 3rd generation decided to create a family tree for our gift to my Grandmomma. We used all of our 'pinky' prints to make the leaves. I think it was a hit! What do you think?

2. I headed back to Auburn on Monday and got to spend the evening with some great friends from my Sunday School class. We played Mexican Train Dominos and had a blast. It's becoming one of my new favorite games!

3. I got my new planner(from Target)! Have I mentioned that I love getting a new planner and adding all of the birthdays in and special events?Because I do! I already have one wedding in there as well as all the birthdays!  My mom has had this one hidden in her Santa stash since October and I have waited very patiently to use it!

 4. I spent the day before work started strolling the aisles of Hobby Lobby and Home Depot and crafted this fun string and nail art cross! Check out my Etsy shop!

5. A funny school story!

The kids came back to school yesterday and we had a very fun day. Today we were having our Morning meeting and one little girl told me that for Christmas she got a BB gun. I casually asked "Oh, is it a Red Rider BB Gun?" She replied yes and two of my little boys almost in unison said:

"You'll shoot your eye out!" 

Ha! I love it, my firsties know A Christmas Story. 

Happy Friday!

~Rachel 

NYC Landmarks

So I was thinking... that I am very blessed to live in the country that I do. On Friday we had our Veteran's Day program and we were all challenged to thank a Veteran and their family for the sacrifices they made. While in the Big City, we had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 memorial. It was a very memorable experience and and reminded me of the men and women who went off to war after this event to protect our country. My sister went to New York in December 2001 and saw the rubble of the 2 buildings; I went to NYC in February of 2007 and saw ground zero and the beginning of the construction, so seeing the almost finished product brought the whole experience full circle for us.

They are still working on the site, as it is an on-going process, but the progress was amazing. The Freedom Tower stands out against the NYC skyline just like the twin towers did and is a beautiful site to see. There are 2 pools marking the spots where the twin towers stood.

Each pool has names etched into the metal sides to honor those who lost their life in the towers, pentagon, and those on the airplanes, as well as the NYC firefighters and policemen who were first responders. Todd Beamer was on Flight 93 where a few men fought back against the attackers. His wife coined his last phrase "Let's Roll!"

After that moving experience we walked down to the edge of Manhattan and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and boy was it a LONG walk! The middle is very cool with great views of the city and Statue of Liberty. We finally made it to the other side and were able to enjoy some great pizza while we let our feet rest. Needless to say, we took the subway back to Times Square, before heading back to the hotel to catch a cab to the airport. This trip was such a great time to spend with my mom and sister. We were able to do a lot of fun things and take in some great historical sights. I love this fun city, can't wait to plan a trip sometime soon to catch the fun new plays coming out!

Remember to thank a Veteran and their family this week, as well as every day. 

~Rachel 

Monogramed Teaching Bag

So I was thinking... 

that every great teacher needs a great teacher bag! I was blessed this year with an adorable little first grader who gave me a Thirty-One bag that I use for Christmas!

One of my best friends is getting married in less than 100 days! She had an Around the Clock shower last weekend and I was given the time of 'teaching time.' I decided to make her a monogramed teaching bag and fill it with some fun teaching things!

Here is a quick tutorial:

First I went to my favorite craft store to gather supplies:

canvas bag, fabric, and yarn

 I printed a "G" for the soon to be Mrs. Goodell and traced the pattern onto the fabric to cut out. 

 The next step is a little time consuming, but super easy! Just thread your yarn needle and stitch away!

 The finished product before the shower!

 She is ready to teach now!

7 more days of school! I can not believe, be looking for end of the year posts soon!

~Rachel 

17 Reasons to love First Grade!

So my first year of teaching is half way through and as they always say

"Time flies when you're having fun!"

So the plan was that I was going to do 15 things to love about 1st grade; however, I helped out with a teenage girls retreat for my church this weekend and missed out on blogging on the 15th, so...

In honor of the 17th, here are 17 reasons to love first grade!

1. Smiling faces greet you every morning!

2. Being told "I love you" many times a day!

3. Teaching kids to believe in themselves!

4. Watching children learn skills needed for the rest of their lives!

5. Laughing at kid's jokes!

6. Creating smiles!

7. Acting crazy and silly, while getting paid!

8. Reading my favorite children's books!

9. Having pajama days!

10. Being complimented on my drawing and singing(not great at either!)

11. Seeing children start out blending and end up reading books!

12. Spreading the Word in as many ways as I can!

13. The innocence of children 

14. Listening to their crazy stories! (kids don't have filters)

15. Having a party for most holidays!

16. Getting to eat cupcakes for birthdays!

17. Never having the same day twice! 

It's been a great year so far, I can not wait to see what the Lord has in store for  me next!

~Rachel

Awaiting the New Year

So I was thinking...that this new year is going to bring fun times ahead.  I am also excited about 2012 because:

1. I get to spread the word of the Lord in the Philippines this summer for two weeks!

2. I hear the second half of the year is the best time for teaching!

3. Two of my best friends are getting married this summer!

Follow Cat's journey at Southern Sweetness.  

But before the New Year commences and my Auburn Tigers play the Virginia Cavaliers I thought I would remember the past couple of weeks. I apologize that my blogging has been sporadic but, December is a very hectic time in a teacher's life. So here is a life review and teaching review. 

I don't know what I would have done without Cara from The First Grade Parade this year. She has shared so many amazing ideas that have brought smiles to my kids faces. We made some 3D snowmen for our parent's Christmas gifts. Here are our snowmen before we added scarves and hats. We also wrote across the top "There's Snow Place Like Home."

We wrote about what would happen if Santa got stuck in the chimney and also What would make a Grinch smile. My favorite Santa chimney said that If Santa got stuck he would try to jump on his feet and then he would call the plumbers! We also made these cute reindeer books!

We then had a Christmas Craft rotations where we made: Rudolph the candy cane reindeer, handy Santa ornaments, and elf-sized snow globes. 

And who can not read The Polar Express during December! It's one of my favorites!

I then got to go home for the holidays and celebrate with my family!

We started Christmas with a great church service and were reminded the reason we were celebrating. 

Then we came home to exchange some gifts.

We surprised my mom with a nativity that she wanted and I made my dad this Auburn fight song canvas. 

Then my mom surprised my sister and I with 

a trip to NEW YORK to see NEWSIES on BROADWAY!

She wrapped up newspapers for the gift since tickets haven't gone on sale yet. 

(It took us a few guesses to figure it out, but it was a cute idea)

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and celebrated your blessings with family!

~Rachel 

The Best Year Yet

So I was thinking...about getting another year older and how much has changed since I was little. I just got back from the Muppet movie. Yes, you heard me right, my friend and I just went to see it. (Yes we are 23, but sometimes its more fun to live in the good old days of Kermit and Miss Piggy!) This past weekend I turned another year older and hopefully getting another year wiser. 22 was a big year for me: graduating college, getting a job, and embarking on this life we like to call adulthood, but I know God has more in store for me as I step forward to year 23, which my sister keeps telling me is going to be the "BEST YEAR YET!" and I hope that it continues to go up here from here!

My mom and I traveled over to Atlanta this past weekend to celebrate the anniversary of my birth. It was low key, but perfect and relaxing (just what this teacher needed(minus the cold that also came with it)). After a great dinner and taking in the Atlanta Christmas lights we laid low on Saturday, creating some delicious cake ball ornaments for my sister's Sunday School party on Saturday. I was blessed with some very thoughtful presents that I should share: an adorable camera strap cover from the sis and bro-in-law and this beautiful heart necklace that was my grandmother's. Needless to say there were tears shed but for everyones sake I will only show the necklace and not my tearful shots.

And what teacher's birthday would be complete without a children's book to 

add to the growing collection. 

After another great meal, mom and I went off to see New Year's Eve, pretty cute movie, and ended the weekend with a great church service and Montgomery's Live Christmas Tree. It was a great weekend to hang out with the family. 

Here is a quick self-portrait for the photography challenge finale and to show 

off the sister's craftiness on my adorable camera strap. 

~Rachel 

From a distance

My senior year I had the privilege of going to New York twice in three months. Once with my uncle as a graduation gift and another on my senior class trip. This gorgeous cathedral caught my eye both times. Here is the beautiful structure from a distance.   Oh how I wish I could go back to NYC soon! Newsies, one of my favorite movies, is going on Broadway and I would love to see it!

~Rachel

A month full of thanks

So I was thinking...how many things we have to be thankful for. 

I made this little fellow as a craft for my class; however, it was a great reminder to how many things I have to be thankful for. My turkey could have had a full flock of feathers, but to a six/seven year old this could of been overwhelming, so I stuck with the basics.

Last week was a great reminder of how thankful I am for my faith and ability to worship God. On Friday night I got to spend six hours in the Lord's word. I attended David Platt's Secret Church. It was an intense six hours but definitely a great rejuvenation for my walk with the Lord. While there, we learned about the persecution of our fellow believers in Egypt.

The information we learned makes my heart break for these people who are trying to follow God's will. Please join me in praying for these people and to thank God for all of your blessings, He is the giver of all our blessings.

Found a Group!

So I was thinking...I'm excited about Daniel! When I moved back to "the loveliest village of the plains" I was excited to get more connected in the church I had been attending for the past four years. It was bittersweet leaving my church at home because after years of hoping for a young adult program there, we had finally gotten one, and here I was leaving town and not being able to participate except for the weekends I would be at home. However, I was excited about finding my own small group here to strengthen my walk with the accountability of a group. Much to my dismay, I discovered that finding a small group was going to be harder than I thought. The church that I had attended for the four years I was in college has tons of small groups, so I made sure I was in town on the small group sign up day. While walking around I saw tons of sign up tables but none that were directly aimed toward young single professionals. They had a great college program that they said I could still be a part of if I wanted and the only other group was a singles group but the age range was from around 24-50, so not finding my spot there I began to look around to other churches to see there programs. With many churches in this small town, there were a couple of groups that I could go and discover but I was still a little apprehensive. I went a week or so without making a decision and my waiting paid off when I got a text from a girl from my hometown. I had met her, when her family moved eleven years ago, we became friends because our moms taught together, but had not kept in touch as much as we would have liked during college, but back to the point. She had decided that she wanted to start her own small group and wanted to see if I wanted to join!!! I said of course, and immediately thanked God for helping me find a group and comforting my worry about this situation. We met this Tuesday with one other girl who wanted to join with us and after a delicious meal of Mellow Mushroom, we got to business. We decided that we were going to study the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. I have to say I am so excited that I have found my spot here and cannot wait till next Tuesday when our study begins. I will keep you posted on our progress through this book!

(Here is my black and white photography challenge. Apparently my sister and I are on the same wave length: the theme was black and white, so we took pictures of black and white things and edited them in black and white, ha)

~Rachel

Turning the page

So I was thinking....that packing is not my favorite thing to do, and currently that is what my days are consumed by.  Looking back over the past four years I have had to move all of my things four different times, and here I am about to embark on my fifth move.  All of these moves have been from home to "the loveliest village on the plains" however, they all were to different locations: two dorm rooms, an apartment, and a cute little house.  I am returning to my home away from home on Saturday to turn the next page in my book; however, this time I will be out in the real world with a wonderful teaching job and all of the lovely bills that come along with living on your own.  It's crazy how much people charge for things, my paycheck after bills seems to get smaller and smaller.  However, I hope to be a couponer/ saver of money so I can save to go overseas, with missions in mind. So in need of a budget, I knew just who to call.  This will be a new experience for me but with my elaborate budget spreadsheet (thanks to my brother-in-law, the financial guru) in hand, I am ready to take this leap and start the next chapter in my life: Growing into Adulthood.

Monday, I will start a workshop that will help me learn all there is to know about my school district, and I will try and complete my classroom as well as decorate my house; so its a busy week ahead.  The next week brings first grade screening as well as my first official day of work at Ogletree! 

I am full of emotions about this next chapter: I'm joyful, full of excitement, and also a little bit nervous.  I believe that I have a passion for teaching and that this is the right path for me.  I find joy in all of the children's faces, reward from knowing and hoping I have made a difference, and encouragement when I help a child know they are special; however, having full responsibility for a classroom makes me a little weak at the knees. I am praying for this next stage in my life and I know God will give me the ability to do His work in the classroom.  This assurance has helped me wane the nerves I have and turn them into praise, because God has been so good to me! I am so blessed to have a job in this economy and to have this job in a town that I love. So I hope you keep up with this next journey in my life, as I walk with the Lord and see where He leads me! 

~Rachel 

I'm Back!

So I was thinking....that I have not blogged in 51 days and I would like to change this statistic. A lot has happened since my After the Diploma blog, so let me fill you in on the scoop.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach first grade at Ogletree Elementary! After my interview and a short waiting process I got the call that they wanted me to join their Ogletree All-Star Team.  It was quite a relief to get this call and I am thankful for the opportunity. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me when I head back down to the "loveliest village of the plains."  Here are a few pictures of my classroom, its huge! The decorations up now are from the previous teacher, but I am excited to start decorating it with my Hollywood theme in the upcoming weeks.

 Huge bulletin boards to showcase our work!

 My "Reading Rehearsal Stage" This loft will hopefully be in one corner of my room, 

after it makes its way through the school. 

Another view of the classroom! 

After celebrating the new job, I got to spend a month at one of my favorite places, Camp Winnataska. I was the program specialist in Recreation with two great comanches! Miss you Fran and JAM. I was struggling and overwhelmed with stress while out at camp(from the new job and trying to find a place to live), but after a friendly reminder to find rest and comfort in the Lord, I was able to spend the rest of my time, enjoying God's creation and relaxing before my very busy school year commences. I got home from camp last week and I have spent this week working on some school stuff, catching up on doctors appointments, and crafting, thanks to my finds on Pinterest(one of my new favorite websites).  Here are some of the things I have made this week:

 Crayon Monograms! A is for Anderson 

 July is a big birthday month for my family. Here is a button monogram for my aunt. 

 I found this lovely bird painting at the thrift store for $1.49 

and decided to turn it into...

 A chalkboard. I found a great blog that taught you how to 

make your own chalkboard paint!

 Another find from the thrift store, turned into...

 A blooming book wall hook

I have loved being able to craft this week and hopefully you will be inspired to make some fun things as well. My dad's side of the family is off to the beach to spend the Fourth of July holiday together, so we are headed out late tonight to make our way to Ocean Isle. I promise I will be a better blogger when I return. Everyone have a great holiday weekend!

~Rachel

After the Diploma

So I was thinking....that the waiting game is not fun.  The past few days have been really exciting ones in my life.  I graduated college and had two job interviews.  On Monday, I dressed in the black gown and mortarboard and prepared myself for the big "shake with right hand, take diploma with left" moment. After bearing the intense sun and heat for a couple of hours, I very proudly, in front of my lovely family and a thousand others walked across the stage and received the degree that I have been working on for the past four years.  

Four years flew by really quickly, can not believe I have made it to this point already!

As I walked across the stage, I heard a loud cheer arise from the 13 family members that came to watch me graduate. I am so lucky to have such a great family. They have been the support system, cheering section, and listening ear throughout my life and especially through these past four unforgettable years. 

   My Auburn family!

So with my degree in hand, my thoughts turn to what I will be doing this upcoming fall. I am hoping that I will be able to start decorating my own classroom soon. Most people think teaching jobs are easy to come by, and five years ago it was a little bit better, but with funding being taken away from education I have quickly learned how hard the job market is. I have been blessed with some family friends who have been helping me put my name out there. I have had three interviews so far, but with the principals not knowing if they will get the funding for the units I am in the waiting game. I have been a little nervous and anxious during this process; however, I have had a great peace. I believe this is because I know God is laying out His plan for me. I have used this waiting game time to go deeper in prayer with Him asking Him to show me the path that will glorify Him. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself." ~Matthew 6:34

Rachel 

the Auburn graduate and future teacher

Proverbs 17:17

So I was thinking...that God has blessed me with an amazing group of friends.  I am lucky to be surrounded by encouraging and uplifting friends. Throughout the past week I have been able to spend time with some of these friends. Last Saturday, my best friend Catherine came into town for the annual Alpha Psi Rodeo.  Loving the chance to french braid my hair and wear cowboy boots we decided join the fun, along with the rest of Auburn.

Rodeo ready with Miriam and Catherine.  

Catherine is from my hometown and we have been friends more than 10 years. She is truly one that I go to with every problem or piece of exciting news. Miriam is another good friend that I met at college through my best friend Morgan. Miriam comes over to our house weekly to watch Glee together! Also at the Rodeo was my friend Whitney; Whitney and I met in the third grade and have gone through it all (from matching outfits on picture day to the hardships of being separated by different colleges) Last year she transferred here which made me so happy.

 Catherine and I also attended the Rodeo to see our good friend Blake Shelton 

and sing along to some of our favorite songs!

The next day I put away my cowboy boots and travelled to Birmingham to spend the day at my friend Meg's wedding tea.  Meg and I met freshman year through our sorority and found a connection that has remained through our four years together. I am lucky to have her and honored to be a bridesmaid in her June wedding.

Ally, a fellow bridesmaid; the bride, our friend Sarah, and myself at Meg's tea.

After an action packed weekend, I returned to school bright and early Monday morning to teach my seven and eight year olds.  It was a good but long week and I was excited for Friday to arrive.  Yesterday, was our sorority's Braves date game and I was excited because it meant that I got to see my good friend Gaines and also my sister and brother in law. However, mother nature interfered with our plans. We had a horrible thunderstorm that actually produced a tornado near here.  So our Braves trip ended up being us riding buses to Atlanta to spend an hour in the stadium enjoying ballpark food and Dip n Dots, and then returning to the buses to ride home after the game was called on account of bad weather. This bad weather also hindered my sister and her husband from attending the game and getting to see us. However, the bus ride did allow for Gaines and I to catch up on our friendship since he goes to college in Birmingham. 

Still smiling even through the tornado warnings!

Mariglenn and her boyfriend Kenneth joined us on this adventure. Mariglenn and I were meant to meet each other in college, and my life has been blessed ever since with a dorm roommate and a great friend who has a great way of listening and understanding me. 

As Proverbs 17:17 says a "true friend loves at all times." As I said before I have been blessed with some amazing friends.  We are all growing up and graduating from college, but I know that wherever we go our friendship will always be there.

Here are some quotes that I found that reminded me of my friends:
"True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable." - Dave Tyson Gentry
"It takes a long time to grow an old friend." - John Leonard
"A good friend is cheaper than therapy."

~Rachel  

Going to the Chapel

So I was thinking... that it has been way too long since I have blogged, and I have too much to say to wait any longer.  I spent last weekend in Andalusia celebrating an amazing marriage: my best friend/roommate and the love of her life. We spent Friday night practicing walking down the aisle and then headed to dinner to celebrate the couple!

Such great girls! I'm lucky to have them in my life. 

The roommates with Mr. and Mrs. Sanders!

With the rehearsal behind us, my roommates and I headed back to the lake for a relaxing night spent trying out different hairstyles for the next day's festivities.  My roommate took a risk and let me fix her hair the next day (look for the blonde with a bun in the wedding pics). I might have to pick up hairstyling on the side...or maybe not, ha.

Saturday was the big day and we started it off with a bridesmaid brunch. We were swept away that morning on the pontoon boat to a nearby lake house for a very filling and delicious meal.

Back to the lake house we went to roll, curl, and pin and two hours later we emerged ready to head to the church. We were so excited to put on our dresses. They were all brown and we got to chose our style! They all looked beautiful! We spent the next hour snapping pictures and making sure the bride had everything she needed! 4:00 rolled around and we were ready for the ceremony to begin. With tears in my eyes I watched my best friend meet her "one" at the end of the aisle and vow to spend the rest of their lives together! Finally, the announcement of Mr. and Mrs. Sanders was declared and we were off to the park for a night of dancing under the stars. The park was beautiful, full of bright flowers, and the band was fun which made for a memorable night!

The bride and groom during their first dance and me watching on from the left side.

"Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Mark 10:9

The Sanders wedding was the first of my "summer of weddings" and although I miss Mrs. Sanders living upstairs with me, I can not wait to see where God leads their path.

Rachel