One Year Later...& Happily Ever After

Hey y'all!  I haven't blogged on here in over a year...which is sad.  I had gotten a teaching job in Hattiesburg, MS last school year, and I moved four hours away from my family and friends. 

This was really hard to write...

The truth is that last year was the worst year of my life.  Not only was I far away from my family and friends, I was tested  with my strength, my values, my beliefs, and my faith.  I lived through a year of hell, but I never gave up.  I can't go in detail....but it was really bad!  After a month of living there I wanted to quit.  If I did I would have lost my teaching certificate that I worked so hard for.  I didn't--I finished out the year, and I was SO proud of myself for not giving up!  I don't have a teaching job this year...



My Mom went with me to adopt a cat about a month after moving, which I named Louella Mae.  A lot of people think I'm a crazy cat lady now, and that's ok.  I thought I was saving her, but she really saved me!  She's my funny girl, and I don't know what I would have done without her!

Louella Mae's first birthday!

At the beginning of November 2012 I had one of the worst days.  I remember leaving school and feeling defeated.  I couldn't believe that God had given me a job that I hated so much.  I couldn't believe I had waited for a whole school year for a job, and ended up living through this nightmare.  Everyone said I was there for a reason, but I had no idea why.  I had thought that the job was the answer to my prayers, and that I had finally gotten what I had worked and prayed so hard for!
I was so discouraged and defeated.  I wanted to give up and move back home.  I remember crying out to God one night early in November, and being so angry with what I was living through.  I asked him why He had brought me here, and given me a heart for teaching and then bring me to a place that I had so much adversity.  He told me that I was there to become stronger and that He wanted me to wait and not give up, the best hadn't come.  I've never heard God so clearly, but that wasn't the answer I wanted. 
I didn't know then that at the beginning of November a set of troops had been deployed to Hattiesburg...

In January I went to an Emerson Drive concert and a college basketball game with a friend I worked with and her husband.  That was the night that I met Jon...an Army guy from Chicago....

We went out a few days later, and after that we saw each other pretty much every day!  In March of 2013 I wiped a tear from a student's face...and I got mono from doing that.  {I don't recommend doing that now!}  That was the test of all tests....my face swelled up like a chipmunk and my eyes were almost swollen shut for a few weeks.  My whole body hurt, and I kept falling asleep every time I sat down.  There is no medicine to get over mono.  You just have to get a lot of rest and can take Tylenol for the pain.  Jon kept bringing me dinner, Tylenol, and Coca-Cola Icees.  He didn't leave me, he took care of me.  I knew that he was the one--and he wasn't going to leave if something bad happened.

In May, after school got out for the summer, Jon and I went to Orange Beach for the day.  It was my birthday weekend.  He was acting weird, and I had decided he was going to break up with me!  Instead, he told me he loved me {which he hadn't said before} and proposed!  I said YES!!! 

We got married on November 16, 2013...about a year after God had told me to not give up yet...

I think I made a difference in a lot of my student's lives last year.  Some had never been told they were loved--but they knew I loved them.  Others came in to my class hungry, and I gave out snacks all through out the day.  Others came needing a listening ear, and I gave them that.  Others needed encouragement. 
I needed to know that I was STRONG.  I needed to know that I could stand up for myself, and not let someone break my spirit.  I needed to know that when my values were tested, I knew what I stood for and I wouldn't compromise them.  I needed to know that I could teach my heart out, and sometimes that wouldn't be enough.  I needed to know that I could adapt with the adversity and battles that I faced everyday.  I didn't know I was as strong as I was.  I cried out every tear in my body because I haven't cried in over a year!  I cried every day after school, and some nights I'd cry myself to sleep.  I don't cry now{I didn't even cry when we got engaged or on our wedding day!  Jon did though!}God stood with me, and with every battle and struggle I faced daily He gave me the words to say and the courage to continue on.  He blessed me with a wonderful, thoughtful, man from Chicago!

One of my favorites!  I'll post some more pictures soon!

Our wedding was a shabby chic, country barn wedding and we had a lot of his family and friends from Chicago come to the wedding!  We have been married for two months today!  I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!  We both said we'd never move back to Mississippi....but we are moving back there on Saturday.  Never say never, right?!? 
I have days were I miss teaching, and then I have days where I think I'll never go back.  For now I'm praying for God to show me what he wants me to do whether it's teaching again or doing something else.  I have another blog about married life, that I've been writing on lately.  I've missed blogging on here...stop by our other blog and say hey!

XoXo,

Ashlee 

More than "just" a teacher.

So many people think we went into this profession for the weekends off, summers off, and leaving work at 3:15.  I've heard it so many times...oh "just" a  teacher.  "Those who can't teach." It always bothered me when I would hear that. We are more than "just" a teacher.  I'm a nurse, counselor, mom/dad, custodian, mentor, an encourager, an interpreter, a referee, an investigator, a warm smile, and a safety net.  I never felt like I was "just" a teacher.  It was "just a teacher" that led many fourth graders to a safe place and gave them crayons and paper to keep quiet.  It was "just" a teacher that locked her students safely in a bathroom and told them how much she loved them so they wouldn't be scared.  It was "just" a teacher that had her kids  sing Christmas carols to take their mind off of what was happening in the school.  It was "just" a teacher that shielded her kids and gave her life for them.  It was "just" a teacher that sacrificed not that day but everyday.   I've never been more proud to say that I'm a teacher.  I'll admit I was uneasy about going to school today, and did not know what to say to my seventeen first graders about what happened.  I didn't know if they knew of what had happened at Sandy Hook, or if they would even understand.  I gave my kids a bigger hug as they came in and left today, and I was thankful for their talkative little personalities!  I like to think I would know and have the courage to do what the three teachers at Sandy Hook did on Friday, December 14, 2012.  "God is their refuge and strength, a present help in time of trouble."  Psalms 46

My Heart Breaks for Sandy Hook Elementary

 

A Little Therapeutic Therapy...

I'm back linking up for Teacher Week over at Blog Hoppin'.  I have learned how to de-stress very well as some may say!  Here is a peak at how I unwind after a *long* day at school!

A number 5 eight count with a Dr. Pepper and extra Polynesian and Chick-fil-A Sauce always makes this girl happy!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...and yes...I have been known to eat a whole pack in ONE sitting!

 

Hanson!  I know, I know...Hanson!  MMM Bop is STILL my all time favorite song!  Whenever I am sad or stressed I just pull out my Hanson CD {circa 1997} and I sing along and it puts me in a better mood!

My favorite shows...Pretty Little Liars and 90210.

Thrifiting...I like to turn trash into unique, one-of-a-kind treasures!

My newly adopted cat, Louella Mae.

My super awesome friend Heather that just *happened* to move to Mississippi the same time I did!  It's always good when you have a friend from home to talk to!  {I'm the one on the right.}

I'm off to see what everyone else does to unwind...go link up if you haven't!  Happy Long Weekend Ya'll!!!

Where It All Goes Down...

Hey ya'll!  I can't believe it's been almost a month since I blogged!  That has got to change!  Yesterday was a month that we have been in school.  Here in Mississippi we are waiting for Hurricane Issac to make his mark.  In order for people to evacute, school is closed today and tomorrow.  I know many of my students moved here from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, so needless to say I had *a few* tears yesterday.  They were babies when Katrina hit, but I guess they have heard stories from their families.  So I'm using today to play catch up on putting in grades, lesson plans, and centers...and watching my newly adopted cat Louella Mae swing on the curtains of course!  Before I get started on school stuff, I need to  catch up in Blog Land-- seeing as how I totally missed Blog Hoppin's Teacher Week!  Total sadness!  I'm going to start off with Where I Teach Wednesday.  I love looking in to everyone else's classrooms. 
My very, very, very organized and leveled classroom library!  I think this is my favorite part of my classroom!




Here is the area above the board.  I have added a multiplication and division sign up there, and a math focus bulletin board since then.


My small group area...I love small group time!


My reading center area....I don't teach reading but they still get to pick out a book to read if they finish their work early.  The window is my Wishing Well (more on that later).




My Rick Morris Behavior Clip Chart...Hollywood style.  Please excuse the mess, my friend Heather took these pictures when she was helping me get my classroom together.  :)



If you haven't linked up yet, go and join the party!

Currently....

It's that time again...time for Farley's Currently Linky!  For once, I'm joining kind of early!  I can't believe that school starts tomorrow!  I *wigged out* and spent $20.00 on copies...yes...copies.  So after a few whole bag of Reese's and $20 bucks later, I feel much more prepared for the first day of school!

A Freebie for You....and Ryan Lochte Too :)

Hey ya'll!!!  Of course I had to stay up and watch the Olympics last night and today,  I always get so excited when it comes on.  So my sweet thirdsters will be having all kinds of Olympic fun in my classroom when school starts.  I've got lots of ideas, more on that later!  :)  I went to school super early this morning for a School Wide Work Day.  Well, I was hoping to meet some more of the teachers I'd be working with...but they weren't there.  I spray painted paw prints again....and ptl that all the halls are finished!  Then I watched the guy's swim meet.  I mean... Ryan Lochte is super cute....and could possibly be my future hubby!  HA!  ;)  It only helps that I was a fan before he won gold!  Swoon...So anyways back to why I'm posting... while I was doing that I finished these multiplication and division key words to go along with my addition and subtraction key words I got from The Teacher Wife.  I got some poster board and made a big multiplication and division symbol, then cut out the words.   Hope some of ya'll can use them!  Click *HERE* to download.

 Who else is excited about the Olympics?  And I leave you with this...   :)

Tell me more, more, more!!!

I'm arriving fashionably late to Amy's Linky Party.  I love a good linky, so it's about time I showed up for the party!

1.  I have really, really loud sneezes!  Seriously, whenever I sneeze at school my kiddos jump!  They never get use to it either.  People always say "Wow, that's such a big sneeze for such a little person!" HA!

2. I will NOT eat buffets!!!  A long time ago I witnessed a kid picking his nose {and a buger}...and then...he TOUCHED the food with his HANDS!!!!  EWWWWW!  I've been scarred ever since! 

3.  I don't eat anything off of a bone.  It has to be a filet or boneless if I'm gonna eat it.  Does anybody else out there get grossed out by the little blue part on the bone?  Let's just say that I hate dread days when the cafeteria serves chicken legs!  Those little babies just gnaw the daylights off those things!

4.  I just moved from Alabama to teach in Mississippi.  Can't wait to meet my third graders!

5.  I secretly like to make up rap songs.

6.  When I am getting gas it has to land on an even number.

7.  I own every Hanson CD ever made, and I seriously STILL listen to them!  I can sing every line of MMM Bop.  That will always be my all time favorite song!  If I'm having a bad day or sad I listen to that song and it makes me super happy!

8.  I love to repurpose stuff.  I love to turn the ugliest stuff into one-of-a-kind, unique pieces!

9.  Dr. Pepper and Reeses are important food groups on my diet.

10.  I'm a big germ-a-phob.  I Lysol off desks, doorknobs, pencils, and book baskets after school every day.

Life...in The Burg...So Far

Hey ya'll!  Wow!  It seems like I haven't had much time for blogging these days, I've been so busy with my move.  I moved last Thursday to "The Burg".  Life...well...it's been crazy to say the least!  I'm like, "Do I really live here?  Is this really my classroom?"  Crazy is the only word I can think of to sum up the past few days!  I came up to the school to spray paint tiger paw prints on the halls....by the way, if ya'll know how to get blue spray paint off of your nails, I'd love to know!  I still have blue tinted nails! I've met some of the teachers, and they are as sweet as they can be!  I've even had lunch with a few of them already.  My classroom looks like it threw up school supplies, books, and decorations right now!  Hopefully, I can get most of my classroom together soon and put some pictures of my room up!  So I'll be back in a few days with pictures of my life...in The Burg...and some freebies!

I got a Job!!!

Hey ya'll!!!  Some of ya'll know that I didn't get a teaching job last school year, and that I did some long-term leaves and subbed this year.  My search is over!  I will be teaching third grade for the upcoming school year at a small school in Mississippi. This job *literally* fell in my lap...I didn't send a resume like I've been doing for the past year.  The principal called me out of the blue....and here it is a few weeks later and I'm moving to teach!  Saying yes to new things is scary, but you never know how it will turn out if you don't take that leap of faith.  Join me as I move to a new state, and begin teaching at a different school....I created a blog for my thirdsters that you can check out *here*  I'm still going to blog mainly here though!  :)
I any of you live in Mississippi or know of a blogger that does let me know!  Any of ya'll use the Envision math series???

Currently...

It's that time again...to link with Farley for her Currently Linky!  I decided I needed to take my mind off of everything, so why not link up?!? 

The last part:  I wish I could go to Fiji!!!  How fun is that word to say?  That's on my bucket list one day!  I went to Orange Beach two weekends in a row last month!  That was super fun for this Beach Girl!  And finally, I WANT A TEACHING JOB next school year!!!  That's what I want more than anything else in the world.  Gotta go  finish my marathon and catch up before the season premiere! 

My Name is Ashlee, and I have an Obsession...

I'm linking up with Living a Wonderful Life for a Linky Party!  I have several obsessions right now...so here they are!

Colored skinny jeans!  Ohmiword!  I love skinny jeans, and bright colors just make me happy!  I really want a pair this color...

Crayola Gel Markers!  Ok, so if you haven't used these go right now and pick some up!  They look super awesome on bright colored paper.  The color looks dull at first on the paper, but then it pops on bright backgrounds!  It looks really cool on black and purple butcher paper!  I mean...I love them as much as my Mr. Sketch markers!

Cheerwine.  If you like Cherry Coke, then you'll love it!  It's the best Cherry Coke ever!  It's really hard to find in the South, but my sister Amanda always brings me some back from Auburn.  Best drink ever!

The new smoldering voluminess eyeliner by Loreal.  I love makeup and the smoldered eye look...but me and a steady hand is not pretty...so liquid eyeliner is just not for me.  This eyeliner gives the same look as liquid eyeliner, and is easier to put on.

R2Blast Neon Gel Pens.  You can only find these at the Dollar General, A.K.A "The Little Yellow Boutique" as my bestie and I like to call it!  I use these pens all the time to grade papers.  I'm a pen snob, and these pens write smoothly and make your handwriting look neat. 

Loreal Nail Polish in "Tangerine Crush" and "Now You Sea Me".  It stays on longer than other nail polishes.

And finally, I'm obsessed with finding a new teaching job this summer....and hopefully it'll be sooner than later!
So go and link up with your obsession, and join the party!

Dananana! They Say It's My Birthday Weekend...and a Freebie!

Hey ya'll!  Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  My birthday was the other day, so to celebrate I have a freebie for ya'll!  I have created some Binder Cover Pages that I hope some of you may be able to use next school year.  They are chevron and polkadot patterns.  Swoon!  This is my first time sharing something I've created on the computer.  I hope it opens right!  Please let me know what you think if you download the binder cover pages.    :)  Click {HERE} for the updated ones!

 

I hope ya'll have a wonderful Memorial Day, and remember the reason for the holiday--to honor our fallen soldiers. 

            Source:  http://gabyspapery.blogspot.com/2012/05/memorial-day.html

Sweet Summa Time!!! {Bucket List}

Ahhh....sweet, summa time is almost here!  One more week and school will be out around here for most places.  I have a few things on my list that I want to get finished before next school year...because of course I'm totally going to have a job next year...fingers crossed!
1.  Get my FANTABULOUS job interview and then get the JOB!!!
                                   
2.  Finish the Daily Five and create some centers to go along with the book.

3.  Go to some professional development classes with my bestie in Mobile because I need CEU's like some kinda bad!

4.  Study for the test to get into grad school...oh and apply for grad school...

5.  Go on a vacay with my bestie...like back to the beach perhaps? 

6.  Hopefully....see Lady Antebellum in concert...oh how awesome would that be!!!

Currently...

I'm linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the May Currently Linky Party! I'm a little late to the party, but better late than never--right?!?  My Pagent Title totally fits me...I am such a germ-a-phob!  I'm the teacher that is constantly spraying Lysol on my classroom books and wiping everything down really good!  Happy almost Friday ya'll!  I can't wait to be at the beach soaking up the sun with my bestie, Sarah!!!

April 27th...One Year Later...Life Goes On

   One year ago today started out like any normal Tuesday.  At the end of the day I hugged and high-fived all of my students good bye.  I never imagined as I walked my former firsties to their buses or put them in their cars that some of their young lives would change forever... On April 27, 2011 there were 208 EF 5 tornadoes that ripped through the state of Alabama, killing 239 people in my state alone.  Among the many areas devasted that day, the little town I taught in was affected.  The small community of Shoal Creek Valley was basically demolished, and there about 15-20 lives lost.   Many students and teachers at my school lived in the Valley.

   I remember watching the news and worrying about my students.  I couldn't sleep, and I eventually made a list of all the students I could remember that lived in the Valley.  I found out that children at my school were hospitalized along with their families.  Other students had lost their homes.  Other students had lost family members that day.  Driving through the Valley was heartbreaking.  I would see just remnants of a home left and I would think this is where one of my little boys lived or this was the house that one of my little girls lived or I can't imagine how this person survived.  I spent the next several days volunteering at the Red Cross Shelter sorting supplies and helping survivors find what they needed.

   I listened as some survivors wanted to tell their stories and I cried with them.  I saw an elderly couple from Texas come in looking for their daughter and grandchildren that were missing, and I listened as someone told them how to find their missing loved ones.
When it was time to go back to school, I didn't know what to expect.  I knew I had to be strong for my students that were dealing with heartbreak.  I was so nervous, but so happy to see their sweet faces walk into my classroom!  Some of my students did not know anything had happened, while others had heartbreaking stories that would send chills down your back.  I had one little boy that lost his home and he told me over and over what he remembered--and it was always the same word for word.  Even though I knew how his story would end, I listened as if it was the first time he was telling me his story!

   In my classroom we talked about what a tornado was, and we read some books about them.  I had my students write a book about how they knew everything would be ok after the tornado as part of our healing process.  The little boy that constantly repeated his story wrote "He knew everything would be ok because Ms. Newberry still smelled like flowers, and still gave everybody hugs!"  Bless his sweet lil' heart!  I ended up letting him keep the book our class made because it seemed to really help him cope!  He talked to me today about the "nader" as he calls it and still has the book!

   There are still remnants of that fateful April night, the Valley has it's scars and will never be the same.  The students will never be the same.  Every time there is a thunderstorm some of their little faces show fear and they get scared of the bad weather.  Tomorrow will mark one year since so many peoples lives changed forever here in Alabama and other states.  My heart will be with my former students tomorrow as they deal with memories and all kinds of mixed emotions of what they went through one year ago.